


First Impressions, Part II

by Dragon_Lord



Series: High School AU [9]
Category: Zoo (TV)
Genre: Gen, High School AU, Pre-Relationship, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 00:32:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15085130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_Lord/pseuds/Dragon_Lord
Summary: Mitch has one (1) friend and that’s exactly how he likes it. Unfortunately, Jamie decides that they need to be more social.





	First Impressions, Part II

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I'm back! I've been struggling with this one for literal months and I'm still not 100% happy with how it came out, but I'm posting it anyway because I believe in accepting your shortcomings as a writer.

_ January – Freshman Year _

Every day, Mitch vowed he would pack his own lunch so as to avoid having to eat the questionable food of the school cafeteria, and every day, he forgot. Today’s punishment was lumpy spaghetti that was likely at least two days overcooked. He gagged just looking at it.

He set down the plastic tray with a dull  _ clack _ and settled into his seat. Usually, he would eat outside, where it was less crowded, but the January winds were still too frigid. So he went for the table that was furthest away from everyone.

Right as he swallowed his disgust and began eating, Jamie plopped down across from him.

“Hey,” she said, looking at her own tray warily. “Is the food edible today?”

Mitch grimaced and made himself swallow. “I don’t even think it’s been approved by the FDA.”

“Ugh.” She stuck her tongue out. “Think this could legally be considered child abuse? Cause my friend’s mom is a lawyer and we could really shake things up if we took this to court.”

He laughed, taking a sip of the slightly sour milk. “I dunno, I’ll look it up.”

The cafeteria was slowly filling up as more students were released from class, voices echoing off the tile walls. Underpaid, overworked servers dumped the day’s entrée onto their trays without so much as an apologetic frown. Mitch wasn’t the only one who gagged.

“You had English this morning, right?” Jamie asked around a mouthful of garlic bread. “How’d it go?”

He shrugged. “All right. We’re starting on  _ The Great Gatsby _ soon.” She perked up.

“Ooh, love that book!”

Smirking a little at her enthusiasm, Mitch asked, “How was Spanish?”

She deflated again. “No bueno. I’m never gonna get the hang of that language. I swear, it’s like I can’t--” Mid-sentence, her eyes caught on something across the room and she rose out of her seat halfway, waving her hand. “Over here!”

Mitch glanced over his shoulder to see an unfamiliar blonde girl coming their way, toting an apparently homemade lunch. He frowned. He and Jamie always ate alone.

The girl tentatively slid into the seat next to Jamie, who greeted her warmly.

“Mitch, this is Chloe,” she explained. The girl gave a little wave, which Mitch barely returned. “She’s new here, and I told her she could sit with us. Is that cool?”

It really wasn’t. He made a habit of interacting with as few of his fellow students as possible, and Jamie was really the only friend he had. That was how he liked it. Unfortunately, she was looking at him so expectantly, and he couldn’t exactly say no with the girl right in front of them. Then he’d really look like a jerk.

“Yeah, sure,” he finally said without much enthusiasm. “That’s cool.”

Jamie turned to her new friend with a triumphant little smile. “See? Told you he’d be okay with it.” To Mitch, she added, “She’s from France! How awesome is that?”

“Does she speak English?” Mitch couldn’t stop the comment from escaping, but Jamie rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, of course she speaks English,” she said.

The other girl finally spoke up, in a thick but understandable French accent. “I was required to take two years of English before I could participate in my school’s foreign exchange program.”

“Wow, wish I’d thought to take French,” Jamie gave a self-deprecating smile. “Then you could tutor me and I wouldn’t be failing my language course.”

Mitch tried not to bristle at the thought of someone besides him tutoring Jamie.

“Good thinking bringing your own lunch,” he remarked. “This way you won’t get food poisoning.”

When Chloe looked genuinely concerned, Jamie jumped in. “He’s kidding! I mean, the food is pretty terrible, but no one’s ever gotten really sick. Mitch was just joking.”

“Oh,” she said. “I couldn’t tell.”

“Yeah, he’s got major RBF,” Jamie said with a grin. “You know, Resting Bitch Face.”

“I do not!” he protested, as Chloe finally chuckled.

“Is that an American expression?” she asked.

Jamie shrugged. “Guess so.”

The conversation tapered off as they all began eating again and Mitch tried not to eye Chloe’s homemade lunch enviously. Next to the mushy pile of so-called ‘spaghetti’ from the cafeteria, her simple sushi tray looked like a feast. Again, he made a mental note to pack his own meal tomorrow.

(Although what high schooler brought sushi for lunch?)

\---

Mitch had sincerely hoped that his and Jamie’s little lunchtime hang with Chloe would be the end of their association with her. It wasn’t really anything against her personally, he just preferred people when they weren’t around. He had Jamie--he didn’t need anyone else.

No such luck.

Only a week later, and Chloe had already become an ever-present figure in his life. Wherever Jamie was, there Chloe seemed to be as well, and resisting the urge to tell her to go away was getting exhausting. So he settled for barely talking to her at all.

This got especially difficult when she tagged along on one of his and Jamie’s study da-- meetings.

“Thank you so much for letting me come,” she was saying to Jamie while Mitch kept his eyes focused intently on his textbook. “Science is not my strong suit.”

“Oh, me too, totally,” Jamie laughed. “The only reason I’m passing at all is cause Mitch started tutoring me. He’s like a science genius, right Mitch?”

Mitch could feel his cheeks heating up but fought to keep his expression neutral--he had a reputation to keep, after all. He muttered, “I’m okay at it, yeah.”

Honestly, it was only a Freshman-level course. The stuff they learned in that class was for beginners and, as much as Mitch didn’t like to admit it, sometimes having a pseudo-scientist for a father had its benefits. Sometimes.

Lucky for him, Chloe actually wasn’t that bad of a student. It seemed the French education system made sure she had a decent understanding of the sciences and the questions she asked weren’t stupid. But just when he thought things might just work out, she had to go and throw another wrench into things.

“I know a couple of other guys in the class that are struggling,” she mentioned as they packed up their books. “Maybe next time they could join us? If that’s all right with you two.”

It was probably a testament to their teacher’s terrible methods that so many of his students needed extra help, but the idea of including even more people in the group didn’t exactly appeal to Mitch. As Jamie smiled and nodded, he stifled a sigh.

“Yeah, sure,” he said unenthusiastically. “Who are they?”

“I believe their names are Jackson and Abraham, er, Abe.”

The amused scoff escaped before he could stop it. “Oz,” he muttered. “Of course he would need help with science.”

Chloe frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Mitch,” Jamie whispered in warning, but it was too late. He couldn’t stop himself.

“Jackson Oz,” he said. “Yeah, his dad’s a scientist, and a notorious crackpot. I’ve read some of his stuff. Few years ago, he was fired from Harvard for some crazy theory that animals were gonna take over the world, or something like that.”

Chloe’s eyes were narrowing. “And you find it funny that Jackson now could use your help?”

“He just doesn’t like jocks,” Jamie was trying to explain, to no avail.

Mitch shrugged. “It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? Or maybe just proof that being bad at science kinda runs in the family?”

“Why do you do that?” she asked.

Mitch tried not to squirm under her suddenly sharp gaze. “Do what?”

“Why are you so rude all the time? You have nothing positive to say about anything!”

It was rare if someone other than Jamie or his dad ever called him out on his attitude, much less someone he’d known for all of one week. Of course, Jamie had chosen that moment to stay silent rather than speak up on his behalf.

“Look,” he said, “I’m sorry I’m not more of a happy camper, but--”

She scoffed. “You’re just like my sister, you know that? Always sarcastic because you’re afraid to show emotion and have real friends!”

“Sounds like you and your sister don’t get along too well.”

“We have our differences,” was all she said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to Maths. Au revoir, Jamie.”

“Au revoir,” Jamie replied glumly, watching with a frown as Chloe stormed out of the library.

Mitch snorted. “She’s teaching you French now?”

“Yeah, actually, she is. Or was. She probably doesn’t want anything to do with us now.” She whirled around to face him again. “What the hell is wrong with you? Can you seriously not be nice to anyone for like five seconds?”

“I’ve been perfectly nice to her all week-- ”

“No, you haven’t,” she interrupted. “You’ve actually been really rude. Why do you hate her so much?”

He ran a hand through his untamed hair. “I don’t hate her, I just… don’t like her.”

Jamie didn’t reply, just waited for an explanation, arms crossed. He sighed, keeping his eyes trained on the scratched-up tabletop.

“I don’t like people, okay?” he said. “And I don’t see why we need to make any more friends.”

“We don’t  _ need _ to make more friends, but  _ I  _ want to.” Jamie stood up, slinging her backpack over one shoulder. “I mean, I can’t talk to you about everything, you know? I need at least one girl friend.”

She had a point, but Mitch wasn’t backing down. “Yeah, but she hangs out with you and then she has to hang out with me, too. Then apparently, she starts inviting her own friends to study with us, when it’s supposed to be just you and me!”

“Oh, grow up, Mitch,” she groaned. “I’m sorry if you were planning on living the rest of your life as a friendless hermit, but I’d actually like to enjoy high school a little bit.” Before leaving, she turned to face him once more. “And did you ever consider that maybe Chloe needs some friends?”

“Come on, Jamie--” he sighed as she walked away, but she didn’t stop.

“See you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder.

He was alone. There was a time just a few months ago when he craved isolation. He used to hate being around anyone. But ever since befriending Jamie, things had changed. Now, the silence just made him lonely.

Loath as he was to admit it, there was only one way to fix this.

\---

Chloe didn’t look happy when she saw him waiting in the hallway outside her classroom. She almost walked right by him without saying anything, but Mitch stopped her.

“Please, I just wanna talk for a second,” he said.

Glancing down the hall, Chloe hesitated. “I have to catch my bus.”

“Me too,” he said. “Can I walk you down there?”

Her eyes said a firm ‘no,’ but after a moment, she conceded. “Okay. Sure.”

She set off down the hallway at a brisk pace that Mitch scrambled to keep up with. When he finally managed to catch up, he noted how easily she maneuvered through the crowded hallway without stumbling or hesitating. He shook his head and started talking.

“Look,” he said, “I’m… I’m sorry about earlier. I was acting like a jerk, and… you didn’t do anything to deserve that.”

Chloe paused slightly and glanced his way, not showing any signs of warming up to him. “Then why?”

“Why what?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why were you being so mean?”

They rounded a corner into the echoey stairwell and Mitch had to grasp the metal railing to avoid tripping over someone else’s feet. Apologizing to someone while being nearly trampled by a crowd of fellow high schoolers. The things he did for Jamie…

“I just…” he huffed. “I’m not good with people, okay? I’ve got a really long adjustment period when it comes to making new friends. That’s why I’ve only got one.”

“So what are you saying?” Chloe asked. “That you’ll continue to be rude until you’ve gotten used to me? Or until I have gotten used to it?”

“No, that’s not what I--” he stopped, giving a sigh of frustration. “I’m sorry. That was what I came here to say, and I said it. Twice. Do you accept my apology or not?”

They’d reached the bus and Chloe hesitated, letting other students clamber on before her. She was thinking. Right when Mitch was about to throw his hands in the air and tell her to forget the whole thing, she nodded decisively.

“Okay. I accept. But I still don’t like you.”

It was better than he’d expected, honestly. Mitch smirked at her.

“Good. I’m not exactly crazy about you either.”

Chloe chuckled, flipping her blonde braid over one shoulder. “Perhaps we will learn to tolerate each other for Jamie’s sake.” She turned and climbed the stairs into the bus, but not before offering a semi-friendly wave goodbye.

Letting out a relieved breath, Mitch headed for his own bus, further down the line, and brought out his phone to text Jamie.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, confession time. Mitch/Chloe is my other lowkey, non-canon ship. As in, I don’t think it would work out, but their dynamic is too interesting to not even consider it. So I actually had to restrain myself from making that last part a lot more flirty. I know, I was surprised too.  
> Anyway, Chloe’s sushi lunch is a reference to Claire from the Breakfast Club, in case that wasn’t as obvious as I thought it was when I wrote it, lol. This whole AU series was originally conceived by theorizing which Zoo characters had Breakfast Club counterparts.


End file.
